Traditional dishes for an Italian Christmas

Like elsewhere in the world, Christmas in Italy is a time for feasting and merriment. The 20 regions of Italy all celebrate the festive season with their own Christmas dishes. Although the ingredients vary, the common thread running through all of them is that the dishes are cooked using top-quality ingredients in a style that brings loved ones together. And it is this enjoyment for life which remains at the heart of all true Italian meals! 

So, to celebrate Christmas in the true Italian style, we are bringing you Italian Christmas dishes from all over the country! Celebrate an Italian Christmas with panettone and a glass of spumante 

The Vigil (Feast of the Seven Fishes)

Christmas Eve dinner in Italy is traditionally known as The Vigil or La Vigilia. It was seen as a fasting day, before the extravagance of the Christmas Day feast, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ but now it centres heavily around seafood. So, what’s on the menu? You’ll find the staple Italian Christmas dinner dishes brimming with fresh seafood. This Roman-Catholic culinary custom remains entwined in many Italian households, across the world, even with Italian Americans.  

The custom originally began in southern Italy, where fresh seafood was plentiful, not to mention delicious!  Likewise, the American-Italian community observe this pescatarian feast, affectionately nicknaming it the Feast of the Seven Fishes. The simplest way to observe an Italian Christmas Eve dinner then, is quite simply, to abstain from meat and tuck into a festive seafood stew instead.

A table of seafood dishes to celebrate a very Italian Christmas 

A typical Christmas dinner in Italy involves a series of courses. Usually, to begin, there’s whiting in lemon, followed by a clam or mussel spaghetti dish, before the famous Italian classic dish of salted codfish, known as baccalà is served. Following on, many families will enjoy numerous seafood dishes, including swordfish, tuna, salmon, deep-fried calamari, baked stuffed lobster, octopus’ salad, sea snail salad and mixed seafood linguine, to name a few. 

Accompanying the tasty seafood selection will be vegetables, pasta dishes, baked delicacies and wine. 

An Italian Christmas day – the feast of feasts!

Once Christmas Eve has passed, the real feast can begin…The regional Christmas Day dishes are guaranteed to tempt your taste buds! An Italian Christmas feast typically begins with an Antipasti course of cold and hot appetizers, followed by a first course (usually pasta or meat-based). The grand affair of the main second course then commences (usually an extravagant meat or fish dish), accompanied by tasty side dishes of fried artichokes, cauliflower, fennel gratin and roasted potatoes.  

For the sweet course, (or dolce) nuts, dried fruit, and soft or hard torrone (nougat) are offered, alongside a selection of local puddings and the famous festive cakes of Panettone or Pandoro. These are all washed down with a digestive liqueur, or freshly brewed black coffee. 

The light and airy panettone with raisins and dried fruits 

So, what do Italians eat for Christmas? As promised, let us take you through the culinary journey one region at a time… 

Lombardy & Northern Italy 

Capon (or rooster) is the traditional Christmas bird in Italy, and in Lombardy, this is no exception. The classic regional version of Capon is stuffed, with walnut or chestnut stuffing. Steeped in tradition, the capon would appear on all the dinner tables of the land.  

Today, grand dinner parties usually serve a boiled version as a prelude to the roasted version. The capon also happens to make the best meat stock, so there’s no wastage! Indeed, the capon stock is used to make the traditional Lombardian first course for Christmas Day, known as Risotto Giallo (a vibrant saffron risotto dish). 

The simple yet sumptuous Risotto Giallo 

In the Veneto region, polenta makes a festive come-back with seasonal cod. In Liguria, the ancient dish of Cappon Magro is a real showstopper! This elaborate Italian Riviera salad is made using colourful vegetables and an array of fresh seafood. This iconic dish has long been a popular Catholic fasting dish for Christmas Eve, whilst its elaborate display also sees it adorning many a table on Christmas Day.  

Finished in magnificent fashion, not every Cappon Magro is the same. The multi-layered salad comprises tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, lettuce, olive oil, tuna and hard-boiled eggs, carefully decorated with fresh seafood ranging from white fish and prawns to crayfish and lobster. The mixed ingredients are layered up high into a pyramid shape, with an eye-catching piece of seafood (such as a king prawn or lobster) as the centrepiece. 

The tantalising Cappon Magro with prawns from Liguria 

In Emilia Romagna, the traditional Italian holiday food is Cotechino and Zampone, which are served side-by-side, as a duo. The Cotechino is the father of cured meats, being made from the rind and finest parts of the pig. The ground meat is flavoured with festive herbs and spices before being encased in a natural animal intestine. Accompanying the Cotechino is Zampone, a stuffed pig’s trotter, seasoned with festive herbs and spices. These Christmas delicacies are accompanied by a flavoursome dish of lentils and mashed potatoes. 

And for dolce? There’s Panettone! Originating in the 1500s’ from Milan, this celebratory cake-like bread is enjoyed all over Italy. Rich in candied fruit and raisins, it’s a real hit with families, of all generations. In the northern city of Verona, the locals prefer a lighter, sweet version known as Pandoro, though it is also eaten all over the country. This version is generally fruit-free and decorated on top with a dusting of icing sugar.  

Accompanying the typical festive dishes of Liguria is the traditional Genoese version, Pandolce (or Genoa cake). This delicious Christmas cake is baked using dried fruit, sultanas, pine nuts and marsala liqueur. It’s a year-round treat too! 

Lazio & Tuscany (Central Italy) 

As is customary in Rome, the Christmas Day meal begins with a Stracciatella soup or Tortellini, followed by a classic pasta dish (such as Cannelloni or Lasagne). Following on is the main meat dish, with vegetables. The champion here is roast lamb braised with garlic, rosemary, vinegar and anchovies, with a healthy dose of roast potatoes. 

The juicy slow-baked lamb with cherry tomatoes and potato wedges 

Accompanying the main meal are artichokes and a unique Puntarelle salad, or Misticanza salad (traditional mixed green salad). As festive dolce goes in Rome and Lazio region, the typical Pangiallo version of panettone adorns the table everywhere, making it one of Italy’s most famous Christmas cakes. 

Tip: Do not leave the table thirsty, try these festive holiday mocktails! 

In Tuscany, the first course for Christmas Day is traditional Crespelle alla Fiorentina (layered ricotta and spinach crepes in bechamel sauce) or an egg pasta dish, stuffed with either potato or spinach and ricotta, followed by the main dish of roasted Tuscan-style Arista (pork) with potatoes or beans. To finish your Italian Christmas dinner, the regional dolce of choice is Panforte (a sweet, chewy nougat tart). Strong teeth are a must! 

Tip: Can’t make it with the whole family for an Italian Christmas, you can celebrate an Italian Easter instead!  

The deliciously rich panforte from the Tuscan region, with dried fruits and icing sugar 

Southern Italy 

The main festive dish for Puglia is Baccalà (salted cod), which is either roasted, oven baked or fried. In Campania and Apulia, the key ingredient for a festive family feast is a female eel, the largest of the eels, making it perfect for sharing. The eel is grilled in Apulia, whilst Campanians enjoy it deep fried and roasted. Indeed, the oilier quality of the eel makes it ideal for grilling and frying. The southern region of Campania also serves up wholesome Minestra Maritata.  

On the southern Italian island of Sicily, a crusty baked pasta dish such as Baked Anelletti is the order of the day. The Calabria region presents the festive table with traditional homemade pasta in a ragù meat sauce. The Basilicata region enjoys a tasty festive dish of Cod with fried sun-dried Senise peppers, which grow in abundance here and are ripened to their full sweetness in the sun. 

A comfort food and Sicilian Christmas dish, baked Anelletti with mozzarella

Wherever you’re celebrating Christmas, we hope you bring the flavours of Italy with you. 

Buon Natale! 

Wondering what to pack for your Christmas or a winter holiday in Italy? Read our full guide!